Victor EzejaCaretaker chairperson of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, has challenged factional national chairman of the party, Julius Abure, to go ahead and expose her and other members of the party as he threatened.
Usman, a former Senator and Minister of Finance, said Abure doesn’t need to issue threats before exposing whoever he wants to expose.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPrime Business Africa reports that Abure had on Monday, threatened to expose internal dealings of some prominent members of the Labour Party, including Usman, presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti.
Abure said: “I am waiting for them, from top to bottom, to make any other move and I will open my mouth.
“And when I open my mouth, wherever they go to, they will be like smelly eggs, rotten eggs that nobody will ever buy.”
Responding, Usman, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, said Abure should act by exposing anyone he has evidence against, not just issuing threats.
“Well, I am challenging him to expose us. If you have anybody to expose, you don’t go and talk now, you go and expose them,” Usman said.
She alleged that Abure has cases of misconduct in the party that are currently being investigated by the police.
“The police are investigating him and very soon you will hear about it,” Usman said.
She expressed concerns about the lingering crisis in the Labour Party, stating that there has been a deliberate attempt to destabilize the party.
While emphasizing that every democracy needs a vibrant opposition, Usman said the party has not been able to play that role because of internal crises, sponsored by external forces to weaken the party’s influence.
READ ALSO: Labour Party Crisis: Usman Urges INEC To Remove Abure’s Name From Web Portal
“We have not been as vibrant as an opposition as we ought to be in speaking out against the anti-people policies of this government—not because we lack the will, but because we needed to first put our house in order,” Usman stated.
“It is no secret that there has been a deliberate attempt to destabilize the Labour Party. Propaganda, internal sabotage, and divisive lies have been deployed by selfish interests driven by greed. This calculated chaos has slowed our momentum, but it will not break our spirit.”
The ex-lawmaker emphasised that the Labour Party was built on the ideals of justice, equity, and people-centred governance.
“We remain committed to those values. As a party of the people, for the people, we are taking decisive steps to cleanse our ranks and reclaim our voice.
“We will not sit idly by while Nigerians suffer. We will speak, we will act, and we will ensure that the Labour Party is liberated—stronger, united, and ready to lead with purpose once again.”
She insisted that Abure’s tenure had ended, which was why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declined to recognise him at some point.
She noted that although Abure secured a court judgment which mandated INEC to recognise him as the party’s national chairman, the latest Supreme Court verdict has invalidated it.
READ ALSO: Labour Party Crisis: Abure Knows His Tenure Is Over – Otti
According to Usman, INEC’s directive was for the Labour Party to organise fresh congresses at all levels to elect new leaders.
She said the NEC of the party subsequently appointed a caretaker committee to oversee the transition and organise new elections.
“They said what we should do is get together a committee that would come and conduct all these congresses so that at the end of the day, we’ll have properly elected leaders,” Usman stated.
On the way forward, she said all members of the party need to come together and organise congresses from ward level, local government, to state and national convention to elect new substantive leaders and be able to move forward.
She added that Abure is free to contest again instead of holding onto power through manipulation.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
